Heiress
by yusuke13
Summary: 10 years have passed since Chevalet Blanc fought for Elesius and the entire world of Filgaia. Alexia, now Princess-Regent of a nation under reform, must now confront the different challenges of giving peace to the people of Elesius. With Levin as her most loyal knight, will she find the way to fulfill her duty or will she find something even more precious? (Wild Arms XF)


_Disclaimer: I do not own Wild Arms XF or any of its characters._

 **Heiress**

"With your help, I am sure we can rebuild Elesius into a new nation. A nation that no longer throws its citizens into the midst of war, rather it will become a nation devoted to giving a gentler future to the next generation. As your Princess-Regent, I, Alexia Lynn Elesius, would like to walk with all of you, hand-in-hand, as we move closer towards this goal. May the Guardians smile favorably on us all."

A girl wearing a frilled pink dress stood on a podium in front of the sizable crowd. As she finished her speech, the masses erupted into cheers and applause. Rose petals were thrown in the air which fluttered through the breeze. Alexia's honey-colored hair swayed with the wind and her smile was as brilliant as her emerald eyes as they gazed at the people. Alexia waved one more time at the people before she made her way back to the castle at the heart of Elensia City.

The princess was accompanied by some of the Royal Knights and an aide from the palace. The aide was a girl of medium height with brown hair worn in a ponytail. Her silver-rimmed glasses conceal her sharp-looking eyes. The aide was carrying a small notebook, which she was now busily consulting. Alexia and her aide alighted on a carriage driven by one of the knights.

"Your Highness, you are scheduled to have a meeting with the Council of Elder Statesmen upon returning to the palace. The meeting is to take place in the Council room in the West wing of the castle. Although, you haven't had lunch yet. Shall I make changes to your schedule to accommodate your meal first?" the aide asked.

"No, it's fine Lena. Let's proceed to the meeting. They will just make the usual provincial reports I presume. It will be quick." Alexia replied.

The carriage continued on its way towards the palace. Alexia looked out of the window and gazed at the people outside. Today was the Founding Day of Elesius, the greatest celebration in all of the kingdom. It has been ten years since Chevalet Blanc managed to wrest control of Elesius from the corrupt Council led by Charlton Blunt and the defeat of the Fear Clysmian that merged with Katrina. And within that decade, Elesius has moved forward towards the nation King Hrathnir dreamed of.

Alexia stared outside with a bittersweet expression. The people whose jovial faces bring hope to her heart were only made possible with Katrina's sacrifice. They were only able to achieve this peace due to Katrina's own determination in fighting for Elesius; the Elesius she too loved with all of her being.

After a few moments, the carriage arrived in the palace. Alexia and Lena descended from it and walked briskly inside the grand hall of the castle. It only took them a few minutes to arrive at the Council room. Alexia took a deep breath before nodding at the knight posted at the door.

"The Princess-Regent of the Kingdom of Elesius, Sole Heiress of House Elesius, Her Highness Alexia Lynn Elesius has arrived!" the knight announced.

Alexia entered the room. Seated around the circular wooden table were three smartly dressed men and a woman decked in a blue dress. They stood up upon Alexia's entrance and bowed low to her. Alexia smiled at the man who was seated nearest the door. Eisen Brenton, former Commander of the Royal Knights, Lord of House Brenton, and most importantly, her father's friend. Eisen has considerably aged during the ten years that passed but his strength remains unwavering despite the added wrinkles and strands of white hair he now has. Two seats were still vacant, one being a chair that resemble that of the other four present and another which was ornately carved and bore the seal of Elesius.

"Please. Take your seats." the princess stated as she sat on the vacant and elaborate mahogany chair.

"Greetings Your Highness. It delights us to see you in good health. The Founding Day Ceremonies went well, I presume?" said the man who sat across Alexia.

The noble has a piercing gaze and a beak-like nose. His receding hair was streaked with strands of white. The man's smile revealed his teeth with pointy canines. Combined with his lean frame, he can be accurately described as vampiric.

"Thank you for your concern however, I would like you to skip the formalities and get on with the subject at hand. What did you call this meeting for, Lord Cromwell?" Alexia replied.

The man smiled and knitted his gloved fingers together in front of him.

"Forgive my babbling Your Highness. As you wish, I shall cut to the chase. As you might have surmised, yes, this meeting was called to report the state of affairs of the provinces of Elesius. However, as a concerned citizen of this kingdom and lead Statesman of the Council, I would also like to add one more item in today's agenda." Lord Cromwell said.

Alexia blinked. She did not expect this. Whatever Lord Cromwell was about to say, she can sense some kind of ulterior motive. Eisen too, looked puzzled. However, before anyone in the room can speak, they were interrupted by the knight guarding the Council room.

"The Commander of the Royal Knights, Sole Heir of House Brenton, Sir Levin Brenton has arrived!"

The doors opened and Levin entered. He has grown considerably taller and his physique has been honed by his battles and training as Commander of the Royal Knights. His eyes grew wide when he saw the princess seated at the head of the table. Levin bowed hurriedly.

"My apologies Your Highness. We have just come back from border patrol. I admit we took too long. I have no-" Levin began.

Alexia laughed. Lord Cromwell and the other nobles except Eisen looked at each other.

"It's fine Sir Brenton. Take a seat and join us now." the princess said.

Levin bowed again and quickly sat down on the empty seat beside Eisen. His father looked at him and shook his head. Levin smiled weakly.

The attention of all present went back to Lord Cromwell. Alexia looked at him expectantly.

"Ah yes. Back to the matter at hand Your Highness. First, the provincial reports. We have compiled them into this…" Lord Cromwell began.

The thin noble took out a bounded tome and presented it to Alexia.

"Our reports are all written there. As a summary, so far, there have been no reports of significant troubles. The most important one is hardly even worth personally going to in the town of Hanigar. I believe it has something to do with the mine equipment they use. Surely, it can be solved by the local authorities." Cromwell continued.

As he explained the state of affairs of the provinces, the other nobles nodded at his words except for Eisen and Levin who merely listened intently.

"As for the second point…Lord Talrand, Reverend Mother Serra, and I were in agreement. The Elesius we all long to build is slowly coming to fruition, thanks to your efforts Your Highness. However, as we all know, rebuilding a nation requires time. Admittedly, this task will exceed our lifetimes and we will leave behind the foundations of the new Elesius as our legacy to the next generations. That is why in this regard Your Highness…" Lord Cromwell looked straight at Alexia with his piercing stare.

"…we, and not just the Council but also the nobles in the House of Lords, expect you to carry out another one of your solemn duties as the ruler of Elesius. Your Highness, we need an heir to secure the future of Elesius; an inheritor of the ideals you and your father championed." he finished.

Alexia's eyes widened in surprise. Eisen frowned. Levin however, failed to contain himself. The Commander of the Royal Knights slammed his fist on the table as he stood up in defiance.

"You insolent-" Levin began.

"Sit down Levin." Eisen admonished.

Levin looked at his father in disbelief. Eisen stared at him intently and with a steeled gaze shook his head. Levin composed himself and sat down once again.

"I'm sure Elesius has more pressing matters to attend to before that. Marriage would consume time which can be used to reforming Elesius instead." Alexia replied calmly.

"Don't get me wrong Your Highness. We do not wish to turn back the hands of time and this is actually for Elesius' reforms. As I have said before, an heir would secure that your ideals will go on to build the future of this nation. And with your tendency to head towards the frontlines in battles, it would also serve to ensure the line of succession is not in disarray. Of course we do not wish ill to befall you Your Highness but we cannot control such factors. It would be best if we are prepared." Cromwell explained.

" _His reasoning is sound but…"_ Alexia thought to herself.

The princess stole a glance at Levin who was still looking scornfully at Cromwell. She sighed.

"I…will consider it. If that is all, then you may leave." Alexia stated.

Levin looked at Alexia, shocked at her admission of defeat.

"Princess Alexia…" he muttered.

"Thank you for your understanding Your Highness. Well then, we shall take our leave." Cromwell stated.

The three Council members stood up and bowed in front of the princess. Cromwell's insidious smile did not escape Eisen's eye. The Lord of House Brenton frowned in disgust. Alexia, Eisen, and Levin were now the only ones left in the room.

"Princess Alexia, are you seriously considering it?" Levin turned to Alexia.

Alexia sighed and sank in her chair.

"No matter how you look at it, I have no reason to refuse it. As Cromwell said, it is also my duty to leave an heir for the throne. I just did not expect him to play that card so soon." Alexia replied.

"Your Highness, I advise utmost caution. I have a feeling the nobles will be using this opportunity to install a king from their families. I think that is what Cromwell is planning." Eisen remarked.

Levin frowned. The Council of Elder Statesmen persisted despite their exposed corruption ten years ago. The House of Lords, the collective body of Elesian nobility, expelled House Blunt from their ranks. The Abbey denied its participation in Edna's schemes and maintained that they had no knowledge of the actions of the former Reverend Mother. Alexia feared that the nobility might refuse to cooperate with her reforms or worse, incite a civil war. The Council remained as part of Elesian government, a way for the Princess-Regent to receive information regarding the vast provinces of Elesius governed by the nobles.

Alexia's plan to immediately dismantle the monarchy was also widely detested by the nobility. The Council proposed instead, a gradual way to give the power of government to the people. During this transition period, the monarchy will continue to lead Elesius while the government forms institutions which can create and manage the new nation that will come forth after the abolishment of the monarchy.

However, it seems the nobility continued to desire more power and avoid this change altogether. Lord Cromwell's ambition was disgustingly apparent.

"I will try to get more information on this Your Highness. I'll talk with some of the nobles in the House of Lords. Hopefully, I'll be able to get something from them." Eisen offered.

"Thank you Eisen. I'm counting on you." Alexia smiled.

"Well then. I shall take my leave Your Highness. Levin, take care of the princess." Eisen stated as he stood up.

With one last bow, the Lord of House Brenton left the room. Levin looked at the troubled Alexia.

"Your Highness, don't hesitate to rely on us. We'll give you our full support no matter what." Levin smiled warmly at the princess.

"Levin…you seem to forgetting something." Alexia said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Levin asked, confused.

"Alexia. I told you to drop the formalities when it's just us, remember? So call me by my name." the princess replied.

"Oh…b-but surely I can't just-" Levin protested.

Alexia frowned at him.

"W-well. F-fine. A…Alexia." the young man mumbled.

The princess smiled approvingly.

"Thank you for your support Levin. I'm sure I'll get through this." Alexia confidently stated.

Alexia's expression radiated a kind of warmth which did not go unnoticed by Levin. The Commander of the Royal Knights could not help but stare at her. Her eyes sparkled with energy, her perfect lips curved into a sweet smile. As Levin was thinking how soft those lips might be, he snapped back to reality as Alexia waved a hand in front of his face.

"Levin! Levin! Are you okay?" asked the princess.

The young man in question turned a deep shade of crimson and immediately looked away.

"N-nothing Alexia! We should get going." Levin stammered.

Alexia tilted her head to one side and gazed at Levin, puzzled. However, she no longer saw any reason to pry any more than that. The two of them rose from their seats and left the room.

"I will give my report after I compile everything, Alexia. I'm sorry but I rushed to the meeting as soon as I got to the capital. Again, I'm-" Levin began.

"It's okay Levin. Just make sure everything is in order. I trust the iron wall of Elesius is continuing its task of protecting this nation?" Alexia smiled.

"O-of course, Your Highness!" Levin answered.

"We'll see the wall hasn't rusted yet. Come to the training grounds later, Commander Brenton. We haven't sparred for quite some time now." the princess stated.

"Oh? Is it today?" the young Brenton asked.

"What do you mean?" Alexia asked, puzzled at his reply.

"The noblemen's daughters are to be taught proper etiquette here in the castle, aren't they?" Levin inquired.

"Well yes. It's a custom I want to dissolve but given how stubborn the nobility is, I'll just have to use this as an opportunity to educate them in not just etiquette but also, in the their roles to play in the new Elesius. But I haven't told you of any of this, so how could you possibly know?" Alexia raised her eyebrow.

"You always seem to be on edge during those times when those noblewomen comes over to the palace. You always take out the stress in spars so I just assumed that your invitation would suggest that they will be arriving soon." Levin laughed.

"Ah…I see. Well, they are quite…hmm…I cannot find the right word. Snobbish? They all think that they are important that they fail to see the plight of the people. I just feel…a bit worked up when I see nobles who act as if the world revolves around them." Alexia replied.

Before Levin could reply, the two of them have already arrived in the main hall of the palace. The great castle doors opened and the guards escorted a sizeable group of young women, all dressed in fine dresses and sparkling jewelry. Alexia sighed and Levin could only smile weakly at the princess.

"Your Highness, the daughters of the House of Lords have come as requested." a bowed low before Alexia.

" _As requested? Please…"_ Levin thought.

With the introduction, the ladies curtsied in front of the Princess-Regent. At the head of the group, a girl who looks the same age as Alexia stepped forward. She wore a bright red gown with a silver tiara atop her flowing brownish hair. Her black eyes were piercing although in some ways, some people might find it attractive.

"Your Highness, I am Villetta Cromwell, daughter of the Council Chairman, Lord Alistair Cromwell. We are grateful for your kind reception." the woman smiled.

"To be educated in proper etiquette, I believe the nobility will now need to learn more than that. As you all know, Elesius is undergoing reforms. Through the education you will learn here, I hope it will help you become partners in our endeavor to turn this kingdom into a new nation." Alexia stated.

"Yes Your Highness." the young women all replied with a curtsy.

"I shall now have your escorts take you to your chambers. I'm sure you all had a tiring trip. Please rest and make yourselves comfortable." the princess said.

The guards led the noblewomen to the East Wing of the palace. As they walked, the young women chatted among themselves. Their chatter did not escape the princess' ears.

"Wasn't that the Commander of the Royal Knights with her Highness?"

"I guess it really is true. Sir Levin truly is the most eligible bachelor in Elensia, if not the entire nation."

"Do you think he already has a woman in mind?"

Alexia sighed. Despite her aversion to such topics, it did occur to her that such idle chatter could only be possible with the peace she and her father yearned for. To give the people something else to strive for instead of the flames of war; she smiled to herself as she began to realize that perhaps, Elesius was finally going in the right direction.

However, the princess frowned in her musings. The way the women talked about Levin made something within her stir. For some reason, it didn't feel right. She did not like them talk about Levin. Alexia felt troubled.

"Should we get going, Alexia?" Levin interrupted her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh. Of course." the princess hurriedly replied as she walked away.

Levin scratched his head, confused.

"Is she really okay?" he muttered as he threw a concerned look at the departing Alexia.

 **-END-**

 **Afterword:** Whew. I finally wrote this one down. So yeah, I'm alive again. Currently getting in the mood to write again so I thought why not write a short series on the game I just finished replaying. I was so disappointed when the game ended without resolving Levin's feelings (especially after I abused his abilities to clear the game quite easily). So here I am trying to do that. Thank you to those who took the time to read chapter 1. Of course, I'll be writing up to four more chapters (I think) to tie this story up. After this warm-up, I'll be proceeding to updating my ongoing fics (I'm so sorry. It's so delayed.) so hopefully you guys will stay tuned.

Thank you to those who've been reaching me through private messages. I am really moved by your concern for me and appreciation of my stories. In exchange, I must write with more passion than ever to complete them. Again, thank you everyone who've read my works even now (with my very long absences). I hope you like this fic (and the ones to come) and feel free to let me know what you think of it in your reviews or by PMing me.

yusuke13 signing out for now but we'll meet again in the next fanfic!


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